Packing crate



Aug. 26 1924.

G. L. ASTON PACK Filed Oct.- 31

TNG CRATE Patented Aug. 26, 1924.

UNITED STATES GORDON L. ASTON, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS.

PACKING CRATE.

Application filed October 31, 1923.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, GORDON L. ASTON, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chicago, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented new and useful Improvements in Packing Crates, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference being had to the accompanying drawing, forming a part of this specification.

My invention relates to boxes and crates or the like, such as are employed for shipping highly polished furniture or other objects which are likely to be damaged by rough handling. It is my aim to provide an exceedingly simple crate or box construction which will offer ample protection for such objects while in transit and which will enable even inexperienced persons with few tools to unpack the objects without damage.

At the present time it is the usual practice to nail crates together in a manner so that it is necessary to tear them fully apart in order to remove the objects therein. This is a troublesome method and frequently the crated article becomes marred and injured whereas the objects must remain permanently uncrated and cannot be readily temporarily inspected and replaced in the crate for storage.

In the device comprising my invention, I have provided a crate in which by taking out a few screws the articles contained therein may be drawn out at the side of the crate. In drawing the object out of the crate sidewise rather than edgewise, the uncrating can be performed with considerably less liability of injury to the crated object, since the object will not have to be withdrawn the entire length of its longer dimension.

Furthermore, my invent-ion aims to provide an arrangement whereby an article of furniture, such as a table or piano-bench or the like, may be amply protected against ordinary strains encountered in transit by a comparatively light inexpensive box or crate, which is simple in construction and permits of the ready insertion or removal of the crated object.

To this end I have provided a simple means for supporting the packed article within the crate entirely out of contact with the walls of the latter with the exception of certain padded portions which may be held,

Serial No. 671,969.

if desired, in rigid contact with a part of the crate.

Further objects and advantages of my invention will appear upon reference to the following description and claims taken in connection with the following drawings, in which Figure 1 is a perspective View of a crate embodying my invention and with the removable side in attached position;

Fig. 2 is a central and vertical longitudinal section through the same crate showing a piano-bench in section supported and packed therein;

Fig. 3 is a central and vertical transverse section of the structure shown in Fig. 2;

Fig. at is a vertical transverse section through a modified form of crate embodying my invention, showing the same in a form suitable for packing a pair of objects such as piano-benches; and,

Fig. 5 is a detail perspective View showing in dissembled relation the various parts used for supporting the article of furniture within the crate.

I/Vhen packing a piano-bench or the like after the manner shown in the drawings, 1 provide a crate or box having interior di mensions somewhat greater than the corresponding dimensions of the bench so that only certain desired portions of the crate will have an opportunity to contact therewith. As shown in Fig. 2, the crate 10 may comprise a pair of opposed end walls 11 and 12, a bottom wall 13 and a top wall 14;. 1

Within the top of the crate a frame 15 may be mounted and faced with padding as at 16, which provides a surface against which the periphery of the bench top may rest.

It will be noted that the frame 15 is so constructed that the bench is restrained against all sidewise or upward movement. In order to completely restrain the bench against all movements within the crate, a carrier member, such as at 17, is used. This carrier member or bar 17 may be secured to any inconspicuous unfinished portion of the article of furniture. In the particular instance shown, the carrier is shown attached to the bottom of the bench by nails 18. The nails are driven through the bar and into the bottom of the bench. This will do no harm to the bench because the nail holes will be underneath and out of sight. The carrier or bar is ordinarily secured to the furniture in this or a similar manner before the'article is placed in the crate.

The carrier member 17 is shown as projecting at both of its ends beyond'the adjacent portions of the article in a manner to be engaged by supporting means attached I to the end walls 11 and 12 of the crate.

the grooves 21.

These supporting means may comprise strips 19 and 20 nailed to the opposed end walls of the crate. The strips 19 and 20 may be each formed with grooves as at 21 for slidably receiving an end of. the" carrier. member 1 out of contact with the lower and longitudinal' side walls of the crate. One or both of the strips 22 and 23 may be tacked in place in a manner permitting ready removal when the furniture is tobe unpacked.

With the carrier member supported in this manner, it will be apparent that the upper portion of the bench may be. held in rigid contact with the padded frame 15. The carrier member, together with the frame, will securely hold theentire bench against movements within the'crate in any" direction. At the same time the lower por "tionsof the crate comprising the legs as at 24', whichmay be more or less fragile, are held entirely out of contact with the crate, and accordingly, any injuries to the exterior of the crate will ordinarily leave these portions of the bench unharmed.

One of the longitudinal side walls of the crate, preferably the wall 25 may be constructed as a unit before being applied to the crate. This side wall may then be attached to the crate by the use of removable screws 26. The wall may then be conveniently removed or again replaced without v permanently ruining the crate or running jany risk of injury to the polished object therein.

In Fig. 1, a crate is shown which provides for the packing of two similar articles of furniture with their top portions face to face. The top portions may be readily sepa rated by a member 27 corresponding in use to the frame 15. In other respects the construction of the crate shown in Fig. 4 may be similar to that shown in Fig. 2.

, While I have shown and described two embodiments of my invention, it is .to be understood that many further modifications may be made therein without departing from the spirit and scope of the appended claims. Accordingly, I desire that only such limitations shall be imposed upon my invention as are specifically pointed out in the claims, or such as are required by the prior art.

What I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent in the United States, is:

1. Means for packing an article of furniture in the nature of a table or bench comprising a carrier member detachably fastened to the bottom of the article and projecting at'both of its ends beyond the adjacent portions of the article, and a crate for housing the article and having each of two opposed walls' severally equipped with a support having a groove for slidably receiving an end of said carrier member.

2. Means for packing an article of furniture in the nature of a table or bench com prising a carrier member detachably fastened to the bottom of the article and proj ecting at both of its ends beyond the adjacent portions of the article, a crate for housing the article and having'each of two op posed walls severally equipped with a support having a groove for slidably receiving an end of said carrier member, and another wall at the ends of said grooves that is detachable as a unit from the crate to permit ready removal of the article by sliding the carrier out of said grooves.

3. Means for packing a piano-bench or the like, comprising a crate or box for freely housing the bench and having parallel grooves on the inside of two opposed walls, and a carrier member detachably fastened to thebench, said carrier member having ex tending end portions respectively slidably engaging said grooves, the grooves being so located'that when the carrier member has its ends in engagement therewith the bench "fastened to the said member is supported by the latter out of contact with one of the walls of the crate or box.

4:. Means for packing a piano-bench or the like, comprising a crate or boX for freely housing the bench and having within the top thereof a padd ed frame for receiving the periphery of the top of the bench, a carrier member detachably fastened to the bench, and means fixed within said crate or box for slidably engaging and receiving said carrier member, the said means being so located that when the carrier member is in engagement therewith the bench fastened to the said carrier is supported by the latter with its top firmly engaging said padded frame and the other portions of the bench are supported our of contact with the walls of the box or crate;

5. Means for packing a piano-bench or the like, comprising a crate or box for freely housing the bench and having within the top thereof a paddedframe for receiving the periphery of the top of the bench, a carrier member detachably fastened to the bench, and means fixed within said crate or box for slidably engaging and receiving said carrier member.

6. Means for packing a piano-bench or the like, comprising a crate or box for freely housing the bench and having within the top thereof a padded frame for receiving the periphery of the top of the bench, grooved means on each of two opposed walls of the box or crate for slidably engaging and receiving said carrier member, and another wall at the ends of said grooved means that is detachable as a unit from the crate to permit ready removal of the bench by slid ing the carrier out of engagement with said grooved means.

7. Means for packing for shipment an article of furniture in the nature of a table or bench comprising a carrier member detach-- ably fastened to an unfinished part of the article and projecting at both of its ends beyond the adjacent portions of the article, and a crate for housing the article and having each of two opposed Walls severally equipped with a support having a groove for slidably receiving an end of said carrier member, and detachable means for filling a portion of said groove not filled by the end aof said carrier member whereby said carrier member is locked against removal from said groove.

8. Means for packing for shipment an article of furniture in the nature of a table or bench comprising a carrier member detachably fastened to an unfinished part of the article and projecting at both of its ends beyond the adjacent portions of the article, and a crate for housing the article and having each of two opposed end walls severally equipped with a support having a groove for slidably receiving an end of said carrier member, said carrier member spanning substantially the length of the longest dimension of the article, and a longitudinal side wall at the ends of said grooves that is detachable as a unit from the crate to permit ready removal of the article by sliding the carrier in a direction transverse to its length and out of said grooves.

9. Means for packing for shipment an ar ticle of furniture in the nature of a table or bench comprising a carrier member detachably fastened to an unfinished part of the article and projecting at both of its ends b yond the adjacent portions of the article, and a crate for housing the article and having each of two opposed end Walls severally equipped with a support having a groove for slidably receiving an end of said carrier member, said carrier member spanning substantially the length of the longest dimension of the article.

In witness whereof, I have hereunto subscribed my name.

GORDON L. ASTON. 

